Similar Listings/one song/one F & one R

[dpenn]

I'm a bit confused. I submitted the same song to both listings detailed below. The first listing was a dispatch and the second was a regular listing. The first one was a foward and the second a return. The song is called "Why Do I." www.taxi.com/davepennI realize that it depends on who is screening, but the listiings are very similar in nature. Personally, I thought it was better suited for the second than the first. Any feedback would be most appreciated!DaveHIGH-ENERGY ROCK INSTRUMENTALS are needed by the Music Supervisor for an Independent Feature Film about a spoiled Beverly Hills debutante (early 30’s) who is sent by her dad to the desert to look for fictitious treasure. Instead, she finds romance and discovers herself. In tone & style, they are looking for a “Legally Blonde” vibe with a comedy-romance-adventure blend. These instrumentals will be for driving/car scenes, the male character and the biker characters. The overall tone should be more “gold-digger” youth than country-in fact, NO COUNTRY is desired here at all. Guitar-driven rock, melodic hooks and high-energy adventure/action should be the focus. Think adrenaline, male youth and excitement - nothing too dark. License fees are negotiable. Broadcast quality needed [excellent-sounding home recordings are OK]. Please submit one to three songs online or per CD, include lyrics. All submissions will be screened on a YES/NO BASIS ONLY - NO CRITIQUES FROM TAXI. For ground submissions, please enclose a S.A.S.E. if you would like a response. As always, we will notify everyone via e-mail, whether your submissions have been Forwarded or Returned. Submissions must be received no later than 4pm Pacific Daylight Time (California time), Monday, January 21, 2008. TAXI # D080121RI A range of great "HIGH OCTANE" INSTRUMENTALS (no vocals) are needed by a U.K.-based Music Library/Publishing Co. for TV placement. This company ran numerous TAXI listings in 2006 (and signed many TAXI songs) and is now in need of more great material as their service has become very much in demand. Think high-energy tracks for sports highlights or car chase scenes - footage like that. Rock and Electronica-style tracks are preferred, but all instrumentation is OK, just so it's uptempo, energetic, and throat-grabbing. They don't want tracks that sound like they were obviously MIDI generated - authenticity and great performances are the keys. Both instrumentals with lead melody lines and basic backing tracks that serve as "soundbeds" are OK - they want both. All tempos are OK. Track length should be in the 1:00 - 3:00 range. At this point they work mostly with prominent U.K. TV channels such as the BBC and ITV, but also supply music to other production companies that broadcast worldwide. They offer non-exclusive, 50/50 deals. Broadcast quality needed [great sounding home recordings are OK]. Please submit one to three songs online or per CD. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI and must be received no later than Jan. 28, 2008. TAXI # S080128IN

[matto]

I think the track is a little "boring" as a library track. It is high energy, but there's really not enough interesting stuff going on to make it grab my attention. It's a bit too repetitive. Library music needs to sound interesting enough when played on its own to capture the end users interest. And there needs to be enough development throughout the piece too keep it interesting.I also found the sound to be a bit muddy and muffled, not as crisp as one would expect something like this to sound nowadays. Unless this is just in the mp3.I think the first issue is a bit less of a concern in the Dispatch listing since it's just meant for one specific application. But the second one would be an equal concern in both cases. IMHO you might have gotten a little bit lucky with that forward... Not sure how much this helps you matto

[vicky]

hey there,it's weird, when I read the listing....it does seem to fit the first...the role of the melody is a possible re-think (Matto mentioned this), but if the melody needs to prominent or not, still means that there should be one...this is more of a sound bed....even though the riff has a melody of it's own....it's not what is usually considered the melody....the second octane listing there were many forwards, and you could go check them out and compare...I think your tune isn't "throat-grabbing" it's too happy....the good news is there are listings for this ..there is a lack of high end....try to AB with guitar oriented tracks, and try to get them to sound close....hope this helps,Vicky

[hummingbird]

While I understand the reaction to the return/forward thing, as Matto says, these are two entirely different listings. One is for a 'one off' independent film. The other is for a library that will be pitching music to a variety of opps. They have different needs.Since you had the comment about melody not standing out - look for listings that say 'bedtracks / tracks without prominent melody are okay'. Providing the rest of the production is good, of course.

[dpenn]

Thank you all for the feedback and pointers - I appreciate it.This track was actually meant for vox, so I agree that the full song is quite repetitive without a melody line. As for the sound quality, it was actually done on purpose - was going for a very raw pop/punk type of feel. I wound up submitting it because I thought that it would work for some 15 or 30 second spot. I guess I'll keep it on the back burner until a more suitable listing comes up, and in the mean time get the vox in there (it's actually a really cool song with the vox - just need to find someone with the right type of voice - raw and gravily).I'll definitely check out what was forwarded so I have a better idea for next time!!!Thanks again,Dave

[matto]

Okay that makes sense. In my personal experience, in most cases the backing track to a vocal song doesn't make a great instrumental for music library uses.That's just what I've found over the few years that I've been doing this.

[dpenn]

Thanks Matto - that's good to know and I'll keep it in mind for future submissions.

[slideboardouts]

Quote:Okay that makes sense. In my personal experience, in most cases the backing track to a vocal song doesn't make a great instrumental for music library uses.That's just what I've found over the few years that I've been doing this.Amen to that. I'm by no means a library composer rockstar (not even a roadie really ) but judging by my own personal material that has been forwarded, returned, and signed a great backing track to a vocal song does not necessarily make a good library song.-Steve

[questor]

One thought as to why the forward on one and not the other is that sometimes Taxi screeners know the tastes of the person requesting the music. And in one case it fit those tastes and in the other it did not.That's just one possibility.Another is that a dispatch is an IMMEDIATE NEED type of thing...so there may have been a stronger desire by the buyer (communicated to the screener) to "send me anything (of quality) in the *ballpark* because I need it yesterday" That does not mean that the song is not a good tune all on it's own, just that the circumstances allowed the screener to be more flexible in forwarding material.Anyway, good job and congrats on the forward.